Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Santa Fe versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Santa Fe versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,632 in Santa Fe versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Santa Fe costs roughly 44% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Fe is 40% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.08 ARS 10.1K

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

98.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.21 ARS 23.1K

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

-50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 ARS 10.7K

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

52.12%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ARS 2,402

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

-38.01%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ARS 1,893

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

-0.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 ARS 1,656

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

65.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ARS 1,694

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

-59.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 ARS 3,647

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

-35.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 ARS 1,443

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

-44.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ARS 1,412

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

-60.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ARS 2,557

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

54.31%

Eggs

$1.46 ARS 2,089

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

-40.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 ARS 12.8K

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

-39.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 ARS 8,643

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

40.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 ARS 11.5K

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

-33.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ARS 2,696

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

-50.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 ARS 2,973

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 ARS 1,309

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

-67.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 ARS 3,886

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

16.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ARS 734

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

-73.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ARS 1,960

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

-37.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ARS 1,319

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

-8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ARS 2,659

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ARS 4,751

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.86 ARS 6,937

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

-79.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ARS 1,778

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

-55.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ARS 4,535

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

11.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ARS 1,462

$0.27 Rp 4,800

281.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 ARS 1,412

$0.46 Rp 8,150

115.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ARS 1,240

$0.45 Rp 8,037

93.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 ARS 8,410

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

-3.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ARS 1,524

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

35.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.8K ARS 42.6M

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

14.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.5K ARS 42.1M

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

-8.14%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$55.0 ARS 78.5K

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-31.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.76 ARS 11.1K

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

91.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.82 ARS 21.1K

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

-36.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 ARS 56.6K

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-59.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.54 ARS 19.3K

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

104.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 ARS 7,168

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

20.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$221 ARS 315.2K

$304 Rp 5.4M

-27.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,061 ARS 1.5M

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

-83.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ARS 88.6K

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

11.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 ARS 84.0K

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

53.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ARS 154.5K

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

22.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 ARS 136.0K

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 ARS 454.5K

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

-68.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ARS 285.1K

$675 Rp 12.1M

-70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 ARS 834.3K

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

-83.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ARS 467.1K

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

-83.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,268 ARS 1.8M

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

-55.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 ARS 1.5M

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

-54.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$824 ARS 1.2M

$165 Rp 3.0M

398.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

13.28

653.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Santa Fe: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Santa Fe and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 399% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $16.00 in Santa Fe vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $302 per month, with Santa Fe cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Santa Fe vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($801 vs $1,419 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Santa Fe pays 399% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $319 in Santa Fe versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $221 in Santa Fe versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Fe – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $801 in Santa Fe versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Santa Fe and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Santa Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.